Love Him or Hate Him, Baker Mayfield Is Incredible For the NFL

Baker Mayfield might have ended his season on a rough note, tossing an interception to propel the Baltimore Ravens to the postseason while simultaneously shattering the hearts of Pittsburgh Steelers fans, but his rookie season was an overall success.

Taking over as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in week 3, Baker grabbed 14 games under center and brought seven wins to a city that had previously only seen one over the two prior seasons.

There were a lot of skeptics ahead of the NFL draft, including his former head coach Hue Jackson. People thought his attitude wasn’t right or that he just didn’t have the right skillset to be a successful NFL quarterback.

Well, Baker Mayfield took those expectations and the doubters, squared them up and knocked them on their asses like this guy who HATES live acoustic performances.

“I requested Wonderwall, you clown” pic.twitter.com/zfmFAkTZFS

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 31, 2018

There are certain types of people and things that some people will never root for. And that’s a loud, boisterous person who speaks their mind no matter what the circumstance is. That is what Baker does and always has done.

As much as we like to think that sports are only sports, they just aren’t. There’s a certain drama aspect that people go nuts over too. It’s like watching a live play unfold in front of your eyes and with the addition of Twitter over the last couple of years, it’s only enhanced this part of all sports.

The side stories have added a whole other element that people love and can’t get enough of. Antonio Brown is having problems right now in Pittsburgh? Feed me that. Are you trying to tell me that fans didn’t LOVE the drama surrounding Deflategate and the Patriots a couple of years ago? Please, you and I both know that absolutely everyone ate that up.

Baker brings so much more to the game than just playing it and that’s why he’s an incredible addition to the league. While I think he’s going to be one of the best quarterbacks in the game within the next couple of seasons, the way he celebrates and exudes passion makes watching his play that much more compelling.

FEELIN’ IT. 🥁@bakermayfield | #CINvsCLE pic.twitter.com/UXAEPmAp8y

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 23, 2018

Don’t give me that crap of, “shut up and play”. Why? Are we supposed to expect these guys to have no emotion? Do you not care about the Baker Mayfield vs Hue Jackson dynamic? If this is the case, just cancel Hard Knocks because it shows more than just playing the game.

I mean this with all due respect to Tom Brady. I am a die hard Patriots guy who grew up in Massachusetts. But imagine having every single 53-man roster be made up of Tom Brady personalities? He’s a great guy who is a family man. Again, with all due respect…

via GIPHY

I want guys sprinting up the field on huge touchdown plays flaying their arms. I want guys going nuts and screaming when they get a big play. I NEED soundbites like I need water. Again, why would ANYONE not want this in the league?

Sports are the best thing in the world. They’re a way to escape from everything else around you. But why not add a little bit more to it with some extra excitement and story lines? It gives us something to talk about, right?

Baker Mayfield is a legend in the making and if it isn’t for his play, it’ll be for his clips and attitude. He’s got an edge that the league needs. The “love him or hate him” types of guys are an extra element that makes sports that much more enjoyable.

And on top of all of that, he broke the rookie TD record (27) — previously held by Peyton Manning (26) — this season. The guy’s got talent. Bring me more Baker Mayfield. We better all get used to him because he’ll be here for a long, long time.

-Nick Quaglia (@NickQuag)